The K9 Unit at CEC’s George W. Hill Correctional Facility (GWHCF) in Thornton, PA was honored two times in the month of March by the Delaware County Council for their 42 years of service at the jail and to the community. The unit was awarded a special resolution at the County Council meeting on March 2, and received an additional honor at the Veteran’s Day recognition on March 12 at the Stoney Creek Veterinary Hospital. John P. McBlain of the Delaware County Council presented the special resolution to Lt. John Miller, K9 Team Leader, and Sgt. Jamar Brison of the K9 Unit.
“We are extremely proud to have received this honor from the county for the hard work our K9 Team performs on a daily basis to keep the jail and community safe,” said Mike Caltabiano, Senior Vice President of CEC Corrections. “Lt. Miller’s team does a tremendous job with its award-winning K9 work that is a support to local law enforcement agencies.”
The program at GWHCF has become a regional training center for area law enforcement departments to train for United States Police Canine Association (USPCA) regulations and certifications. The team helps other department’s officers & canines prepare for and compete in the annual USPCA certifications, some of which are hosted by the GWHCF K9 Unit. The Unit began in 1974 with two dogs that guarded the perimeter of the prison grounds, and has grown to a training facility for K9 officers that now includes thirty dogs, making the GWHCF facility one of the east coast’s largest K9 training facilities.
“The K9 unit has now assisted many K9 officers and handlers become certified in several areas of police work, said Lt. John Miller, K9 Team Leader. “We are very grateful to the Delaware County Council for this acknowledgement.”
The dogs, which include mostly Belgian Malinois and Bloodhounds, are trained to protect the jail by patrols, as well as to detect contraband. Eleven are trained sentry dogs and eight are certified narcotic dogs. The program at GWHCF is a great local resource for K9 training and certification that assists law enforcement throughout the surrounding area.
GWHCF is a 1,883-bed facility that services Delaware County and is a member of the CEC Corrections division. The jail offers a large array of transitional services for offenders, including extensive educational training, GED preparation and GED testing (certified), Targeting Success, Workplace Essential Skills, Computer Literacy, and Positive Living Assistance Network (PLAN – mental health education program), and anger management amongst others.
CEC is a leading national provider of rehabilitative services for offenders in reentry and in-prison treatment facilities, as well as providing comprehensive management of county, state, and federal jail and detention facilities. The Company provides evidence-based programming for residential and non-residential clients and maintains a documented record of reducing recidivism. CEC services also include drug and alcohol testing by SECON, our comprehensive drug testing and screening company that provides services worldwide.
